The recommended daily energy intake of an adult pregnant women with heavy work is

UPPSC 2017

Applied Nutrition & Dietetics

Easy

Appeared in: UPPSC 2017

Explanation

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) 2010 guidelines, the recommended daily energy intake for a pregnant woman engaged in heavy work is 3200 kcal.
This is calculated by adding the additional energy requirement during pregnancy (+350 kcal/day) to the basal requirement for a non-pregnant woman performing heavy work (2850 kcal/day).
The additional energy supports the growth of the fetus, development of the placenta and other maternal tissues, and the increase in the mother's basal metabolic rate.

Option B: This value (2900 kcal) is only slightly higher than the requirement for a non-pregnant woman doing heavy work (2850 kcal) and fails to account for the full additional 350 kcal needed during pregnancy.
Option C: This value (2500 kcal) is insufficient for a pregnant woman engaged in heavy work. It is much closer to the recommended intake for a pregnant woman with a moderate activity level (2580 kcal).
Option D: This value (2100 kcal) is significantly below the requirement. It is closer to the recommended intake for a pregnant woman with a sedentary lifestyle (2250 kcal).

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Nutritional requirements during pregnancy as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Ensuring adequate caloric intake during pregnancy is a critical nursing responsibility to prevent adverse outcomes like low birth weight (LBW), intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), and maternal malnutrition.
Nurses must assess a pregnant woman's activity level to provide accurate dietary counseling. Misjudging heavy work as moderate could lead to a significant calorie deficit.
Patient education should emphasize that 'eating for two' means increasing nutrient and calorie density, not just food volume, focusing on a balanced diet.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key parameters in the question: the patient's condition (pregnant) and her activity level (heavy work).
Recall that nutritional guidelines for pregnancy involve a baseline requirement based on activity plus an additional amount for the pregnancy itself.
Access your knowledge of the ICMR recommendations for daily energy intake. Remember the standard addition for pregnancy is +350 kcal/day.
Calculate the total requirement: Energy for a non-pregnant woman with heavy work (2850 kcal) + additional pregnancy needs (350 kcal).
Sum the values (2850 + 350 = 3200 kcal) and select the matching option.
If you don't remember the exact base value, you can often work backward from the options by subtracting the known pregnancy addition (+350 kcal) to see which one results in a plausible base value for heavy work.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Nutritional requirements during pregnancy
Stem keywords: pregnant women, heavy work, daily energy intake
Lead-in keywords: is
Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.

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E6 Nutrition Kumud Khanna 2e p. 86-88

E6 Textbook of Biochemistry for medical StudentsDM Vasudevan Part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-239 of 478) p. 196-198